Automatic coaling-bucket.



J. T. RICHARDS.

AUTOMATIC COALING BUCKET.

APPLIQ IOK FILED MAK.22,1911.

Patented May 20, 1913.

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J. T. RICHARDS.

AUTOMATIC COALING BUCKET.

APPLIOATION TILED MAR.22,1911.

Patented May 20, 1913.

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JERRE T. RICHARDS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTQHATIC COMING-BUCKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 20,- 1913.

Serial No. 616,194.

To all wfwm it may concern Be it known that I, Jillian T. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at- Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have. invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Coaling- Buckets, of which the following is a specifcation.

positioned adjacent the discharging end of a. coal chute having an end gate adapted to be actuated from closed to opened position, and vice versa, by the movement and action of the coal bucket adjacent thereto.

Another object is to provide an eilicient end gate construction in combination with the movable coaling bucket; and a further object is to provide a practical construction for regulating the position, movement, and travel of the coaling bucket.

The invention further consists in the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings Figure l is a side elevation of the. automatic coaling bucketin normal position adjacent the coal chute, and indicating in dotted lines the further extreme position of the. bucket in dumping or dischargingposition; and Fig. 2 an enlarged side elevation more particularly of the coaling bucket and end chute gate, the dotted lines indicating a somewhat ad vanced position of the coaling bucket and gate with which it cifiipefiates for advancing it to closed position preparatory to dumping and discharging the fuel.

As indicated, the coaling bucket 3 comprises an inner enlarged body portion 4- and an outer contracted discharge orifice 5 which is tiltably mounted as at 6 upon opposit-e bucket carriers 7 pivotally secured at their lower ends 8 to a supporting post or column 9. Upon the outer side bucket walls are formed stop lugs, the upper lug l0 serving to retain the coalingg bucket 3 in normal position adjacent the mouth of a coal chute 11, and the lower stop lug 12 serving to regulate the downward pitch of the coaling Appiieationfiled March 22, 191)..

bucket 3 when in the extreme advanced position indicated by dotted lines is; Fig 1, the respective 10 and 12 contacting and engaging the bucket carrying arms 7. As shown, a chain or cable 13 is secured at one end to an eye-bolt 14 in the poster column 9 and its other end is secured to a retainer 15 attached to the bottom wall or face of the coaling bucket 3 for tiltingthe bucket downwardly when. brought into the advanced position indicated.

An end. chute gate 16 comprising a uatej portion 17, having side arms 18 is pivotally secured, as shown, in the side walls of the chute 11, said side arms having upper bent portions 19 to the ends of which are attached cables or ropes 20 traveling on pulleys 21, and carrying at their lower ends weights 22 forcausing the end chute gate 16 to normally assume a closed position at the discharge mouth of the coal chute 11, as indicated by dotted lines.

The opposite bucket carriers 7 have at' tached thereto cables or ropes 23 traveling upon pulleys 24 secured to the column or post 9 adjacent; thereto, and the lower ends of the ropes or cables 23 are likewise weighted for causing the coaling bucket 3 when empty to be carried back to normal position adjacent the coal chute 11, 'Piv otally secured upon the post or column 9 of the coal structure is shown an upright bar 26 to which is pivotally attached one end of an intermediate controlling lever 27, and at the upper end of the bar 26 is pi"- otally secured one end of a gate actuating lever 28 having its other end pivotally attached t0 the side gate arm 18. A connecting member 29 has its upper end mounted in the wall of the coal chute 11, as shown, and its lower end is pivotally attached to one end of the lever 27 adjacent which are downwardly projecting retainers 30 and 31. The retainer 301112115 be of smaller proportion than the retainer 31, and, between-said retainers, the rear upper end bucket wall 32 is adapted to be positioned and engaged, and when the bucket is moved forward toward discharging position the shorter ,retainer 30 is proportioned to permit the rear bucket wall 32 to clear the same as indicated in Fig. 2. It will thus be seen that this construction permits the coal bucket to be Locked in normal position adjacent the coal chutefor loading the same, and that the action of the end chute. gate 16 corresponds cable 1.3.

with the movement oi the intermediate lever are attilting the bucket downwardly, which is ac-* complished by means of the chain or A trigger 32 pivotally mounted on the post or column 9, which is adapted when in closed position to engage a. locking pin 33 on one of the bucket carriers 7 or otherwise.

To the other end of the trigger 32 is secured a cord and handle 3ft for permitting the operator to' release the loaded coal bucket. which will travel outwsrdlj; by its own weight, and when the coal is discharged from the bucket into the engine tender 35 the bucket position adjacent the coal chute 11, the movement bar and forth of the bucket opening andplosing theend'cliute gate 16, since the weights used are heavy enough to restore the bucket to'gnormal position; so that all that is necessary tor the operator to do in coaling an engine tender isto actuate the trigger '32- for releasing the bucket from ngrrnal position.

Although 5;. preferred form of construction has been shown and described, it is not. intended/to limit the invention strictly thereto since other equivalent devices may be employed for receiving, carrying, and (lIQflllzLlglng the coal.

claim: 1. A coaling bucket, movable bucket carriers between which the bucket is mounted, a coal chute adjacent to the coating bucket, an end chute gate, enact-able bar positioned 'adja cent; to the; coaling bucket and chute, an

intermediate controlling lever attached to said movable bar, a. gate-actuating lever secured to said movable bar andend chute gate, a connecting member attached to the intermediate controlling lever, said interlever having retainers mediate controlling for engaging the coaling bucket when. in normal position, and for releasing the hue *etthcrefrom'when advanced forward tod barging position, and means for re storin th'e eoaling bucket from 'ich'argthe eoalin bucketfrom automatically assumes its normal bucket, a chute ing to normal position, substantially as de scribed.

2. A coaling bucket, movable bucket carriers between which the bucket is mounted, a coal chute adjacent to the coaling bucket, an end chute gate, a movable bar positioned adjacent to the coaling bucket and chute, an intermediate controlling lever attached to said movable bar, a gateactuating lever secured to said movable bar and end chute gate, a connecting member attached to the iutr-unc-d'z-tte :trolling lever, said. interleto controllinglever having retainers for engaging the cooling bucket when in normal position, and for releasing the i .from. when adwinced forward to discharging position, means for restoring discharging to normal position, and means f0; releasing. the bucket carriers for discharging the bucket, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a bucket, a movable supporting member to which. the bucket is pivotally attached, a coal chute adjacent the bucket, a chute gate, a movable forked member, a connection between said forked memher and gate, the fingers of said forked member lying upon opposite sides of the rear wall of the bucket, substantially described. A

at. In a device of the class described, the combination of a bucket, a movable sup- 'porting member to which the bucket is piv otally attached, a coal chute adjacent the ate, a movable forked mom her, a connectionbetween said forked member and gate, the fingers of said forked member lying upon opposite sides of the renr wall of the bucket, the forward of said fingers being of less whereby said bucket releases itself from engagement with said forked memberwhen the. bucket has been carried forward a predetermined distance and nieans for holding the chute gate in position after the release of the forked member from the bucket, sub stantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a bucket, a movable support-' in g member to which the bucket is attached, a coal chute adjacentthecbucket, a chute gate, a movable forked member-ya connection between said forked. member and gate,

and a connect-ion between said forked incinb'er and bucket, substai tially as described. Jlt li-lt-l l T. RICHARDS.

4 length than the rear 

